Summary of Kabul By Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End
()
About this ebook
DISCLAIMER
This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.
Summary of Kabul By Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End
IN THIS SUMMARIZED BOOK, YOU WILL GET:
- Chapter astute outline of the main contents.
- Fast & simple understanding of the content analysis.
- Exceptionally summarized content that you may skip in the original book
The book provides an in-depth account of the Biden administration's disastrous retreat from Afghanistan in 2021, detailing the horrors of the situation. It includes first-person interviews with investigative reporter Jerry Dunleavy and former Army Captain and Afghanistan veteran James Hasson, who provide an exclusive account of the events. The book also highlights the tragic politics and bureaucracy that contributed to the disaster, as well as the bravery and sacrifices of countless Americans on the ground. It argues that the retreat led to a dangerous new era that persists for decades, with enemies also paying close attention.
Willie M. Joseph
Willie M. Joseph summaries get straight to the point and provide essential tools to help you be an informed reader in a busy world, whether you’re browsing for new discoveries, managing your to-read list for work or school, or simply deepening your knowledge. Available for nonfiction titles, these are the book summaries that are worth your time.
Read more from Willie M. Joseph
Summary of Fast Like a Girl By Mindy Pelz: A Woman's Guide to Using the Healing Power of Fasting to Burn Fat, Boost Energy, and Balance Hormones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Build the Life You Want By Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey: The Art and Science of Getting Happier Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of How to Know a Person By David Brooks: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Hidden Potential By Adam Grant: The Science of Achieving Greater Things Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Forever Strong By Dr. Gabrielle Lyon : A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store a Novel by James McBride Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Summary of Be Useful By Arnold Schwarzenegger: Seven Tools for Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Clear Thinking By Shane Parrish: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Young Forever by Mark Hyman M.D.: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Win Every Argument By Mehdi Hasan:The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Poverty, by America By Matthew Desmond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Chip War By Chris Miller: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Spare By Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Summary of Tyranny of the Minority By Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt : Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of 8 Rules of Love by Jay shetty: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Demon Copperhead A Novel By Barbara Kingsolver Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of The Woman in Me By Britney Spears Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Determined By Robert M. Sapolsky: A Science of Life without Free Will Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Summary of The End of the World is Just the Beginning By Peter Zeihan: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Never Finished By David Goggins: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Anatomy of a Breakthrough By Adam Alter: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Summary of Kabul By Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson
Related ebooks
Summary of Steve Vogel's Betrayal in Berlin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Astronaut Wives Club | Summary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Killers of the Flower Moon By David Grann: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary: Killing the Killers by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard: The Secret War Against Terrorism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNo Mission Is Impossible: The Death-Defying Missions of the Israeli Special Forces Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Andy Kroll's A Death on W Street Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Walter Isaacson's The Code Breaker Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Age of Astonishment: John Morris in the Miracle Century—From the Civil War to the Cold War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProvidence College 2012 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Richard White's Who Killed Jane Stanford? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGuarding Air Force One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Gregory A. Freeman's The Forgotten 500 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Robert Baer's The Fourth Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Debra Soh's The End of Gender Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSixteen Bullets: The True Story of a Man Who Has Been Shot 16 Times—and Is Still Alive to Tell About It. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAir Born: Two Generations in Flight Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVietnam's Second Front: Domestic Politics, the Republican Party, and the War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Harry H. Crosby's A Wing and a Prayer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Killers of the Flower Moon Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Summary of Life After Power by Jared Cohen: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEchoes of the Old Ways Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Twentieth Day of January Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5River Rising Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAugust in Kabul: America's last days in Afghanistan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Ghosts of Honolulu by Mark Harmon: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJFK Assassination Conspiracy: In 30 Minutes..., #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWinter's Song: A Hymn to the North Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Night Archer: and Other Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Hampton Sides's Ghost Soldiers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Book Notes For You
Gavin de Becker’s The Gift of Fear Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence | Summary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill: Conversation Starters Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab: Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy: Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Midnight Library: A Novel by Matt Haig: Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 AM Club Summary: Business Book Summaries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez: Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor: Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Ichiro Kishimi's and Fumitake Koga's book: The Courage to Be Disliked: Summary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Poverty, by America By Matthew Desmond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman: Conversation Starters Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Summary of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSUMMARY Of The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Summary of Kabul By Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Summary of Kabul By Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson - Willie M. Joseph
PROLOGUE
ABBEY GATE, HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN AUGUST 26, 2021
The crowd at Abbey Gate was filled with desperate souls waiting outside for days without anywhere to relieve themselves. Most of the crowd had no reason to be there, and most posed no active threat. They knew that Afghanistan's US-backed government was no longer and that sharia law enforced by the Taliban was on the horizon. Some showed up because they sincerely believed social media posts saying that the Americans would take anyone who wanted to leave. For men like Amir,
the others' motives didn't matter. He had a right to be there, and he was trying to push through the throngs to take his wife and four children to safety.
Amir sent photos to his handlers in the US, who would relay them to the troops waiting for his family. The US-based operatives acknowledged his message and replied with further instructions. However, Amir's transmissions went silent.
A few minutes later, 3rd platoon of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (known as 2/1
) gathered 1,250 feet away for a group photo. By nightfall, military officials announced that thirteen US service members had been killed in action in a suicide bombing at the entrance to the airfield. At least 170 civilians were killed in the blast as well.
The deaths of the thirteen American heroes of Abbey Gate and those of the innocent civilians they were attempting to save were neither inevitable nor the product of good-faith decisions poorly executed. The same goes for the thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies left behind in Afghanistan on August 30, 2021. The wisdom of the overarching decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan is immaterial, and the consequences of the administration's failures in Afghanistan have not remained in Kabul; they've unleashed a dangerous new global dynamic that will be felt for some time to come.
ONE
WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was first elected to the US Senate in 1972, following Richard Nixon's second term as president. Over the next half century, he has adopted various public personas, including an apologist for Dixiecrat segregation and a purportedly lifelong civil rights crusader. However, he has consistently been wrong on every major foreign policy issue he confronted, from Vietnam, Cambodia, China to Afghanistan and Russia. Biden's initial foray into foreign policy as a thirty-year-old senator foreshadowed the crisis that would unfold under his watch five decades later. In April 1975, the South Vietnamese government was collapsing under a sustained offensive by communist forces from the North. President Gerald Ford believed that the United States had a moral obligation to honor its commitment to its South Vietnamese allies, who had been very loyal to the United States until the bitter end.
Biden, a foreign policy novice, disdained Ford's moral concerns and dismissed the potential damage to the United States' relationships with her allies. He made his mark by becoming the Senate's most strident opponent of US assistance to South Vietnamese refugees. He strenuously opposed Ford's evacuation plan and request for refugee resettlement funds. Exactly forty-six years later, he would announce his Afghanistan withdrawal plan, which unfolded with similar, coldhearted indifference to our allies.
Biden's first foreign policy failure was Vietnam, but it was hardly his last. In 1979, the future commander in chief visited China, beginning a decadeslong campaign of arguing that the totalitarian nation's rise would be a plus for the United States. Over the next forty years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) showed little interest in cooperation and outright hostility to any notions of freedom and self-governance. Biden played apologist for the Chinese government on other occasions, extolling the virtues of the Chinese government and claiming they're not bad folks.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden's response to the 9/11 terror attacks and the Kabul fiasco twenty years later was marked by lying about his own foresight and projecting blame outwards. He falsely claimed to have predicted the attacks the day before and later sent a check for $200 million to Iran, believing that the unsolicited payment would buy the United States some goodwill
in the Muslim world. The 9/11 Commission later concluded that the Iranian regime had facilitated the travel of several 9/11 hijackers and was protecting al-Qaeda leaders. Biden's career in public office has spanned eight presidents, five popes, and pop artists, and he has consistently voiced distrust of military leaders. He repeatedly urged Obama to reject the military's advice, harboring deep-seated grudges against the generals who rejected his positions.
Biden's foreign policy judgment has not improved over time and experience. He has argued that if al-Qaeda comes back into Afghanistan, it would be welcomed by the Taliban, but he has no basis for concluding that. He has also claimed that the Taliban per se is not our enemy, ignoring the fact that the group had happily provided al-Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan before 9/11, refused to hand over Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders after the attacks, and killed thousands of American soldiers in the years that followed.
Robert Gates, a highly respected secretary of defense who served under both President George W. Bush and President Obama, wrote in his autobiography Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War about Biden's involvement in the Obama administration's decision-making on Afghanistan. Gates reported that Biden seemed overly focused on the political fallout of the Afghanistan conflict, emphasizing the reaction of the Democratic base. Biden's judgment on Afghanistan was affected by political myopia and ignorance of the realities on the ground.
Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was a result of his ineptitude in foreign matters, including Russia. He refused to keep the United States' promises to foreign allies, including leaving a residual force in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces. Biden's ineptitude extended to Russia, as he opposed the idea of leaving a residual force in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces. Biden also mocked Republican candidate Mitt Romney's warnings that Russia and Putin posed a threat to US interests, claiming that Russia was a possible ally for the US' efforts against Iran but not a threat anymore.
Biden's decision to withdraw from Iraq was influenced by optics, not tactics, and taking credit for other people's work. He had privately encouraged Obama to approve Operation Neptune Spear, but by 2015, he had reconstructed his account, changing his advice from Don't go
to Go.
This revisionist history is contradicted by public accounts of Hillary Clinton, Secretary Gates, former CIA director Leon Panetta, Obama administration staffers, and even Obama himself.
Biden's decision-making was guided by optics, not tactics, and taking credit for other people's work. He also spearheaded the Obama administration's Iraq policy, which was dead wrong. The agreement with Iraq didn't materialize, and Obama pulled all US troops out of the country the following year. ISIS swiftly capitalized on the power vacuum and seized control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria.
Biden's future defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III, played